Today
Prisoner 8493 leaned on the bed in his cell, hands on his face as the painful sobs erupted from deep within.
Few minutes ago, he has watched his wife and kids walk away after their monthly visit. She also walked away with the signed divorce papers. Regret chased itself across his features as he traveled down memory lane.
Twenty Years Earlier
Joshua glared at his father contemptuously and stepped back into the room.
“Spineless man” he hissed as his mother and sister stared up at him. His sister, Maryann sat on the mat, held tucked in between their mother’s head as she braided her hair.
“You are being disrespectful to dad” Maryann said angrily as her mother plucked at her hair
“Be quiet. What do you know?” He screamed at his kid sister
“Joshua!” His mom Ochuko, remonstrated. That singular word held all she wanted to say
“But mom can you not see? How can we feel safe with such a man as Head? People are always riding over our heads. Do you know how my mates taunt me for having a weak father?”
“Your father is meek, not weak”
“Ma, meek or weak what is the difference? He is the man whom other people take advantage of. Look at Oche’s dad or Ifo’s dad. Can anyone try such a thing with them? Joshua raged
“We are not the same. You will understand some day when you grow up” Miriam placated
“I am grown up ma. I turn 15 next week. I know more than you think I do” Joshua responded angrily
“And you think the other fathers are better than yours”
They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat
1 Samuel 30:11
“Ma, listen to yourself, can anyone try such nonsense with Ifo’s father? Every man on this street defers to him. It is not because he is a likeable person. It is merely that everyone knows not to mess with him. Yet, he is a man like dad!”
“And you think that makes him better than your father?”
“Ma, who do you think people fear and respect more? the man who easily forgives and walks away or the one who would give you more than you dealt him?”
“Stop comparing your father to those others. They are not the same”
“Of course, we can see that!” he muttered sarcastically
At that moment, his father walks in and Joshua clams up. An imperceptible exchange passes through his parents although Joshua catches his mother shrug.
“My son Joshua, I overheard you and your mom. You think I am less of a man than the other fathers you mentioned. We may attend the same church however we are not bound by the same rules”
As his father droned on, Joshua zoned out.
“One day, I will be more of a man than he ever was”
The Intervening Years
During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord. The Lord said, “It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
2 Samuel 21:1
Joshua pictures that day vividly.
A Thursday.
He was on his way to a client’s office……….Part 2
wisdom and understanding is from God
Rightly so.